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Follow the Herschel and Planck missions online13 March 2009
Herschel, ESA’s infrared space observatory, and Planck, ESA’s mission to look back to the dawn of time, launched on an Ariane 5 on 14 May 2009 from ESA’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Follow Herschel and Planck on our mission websites.

Herschel and Planck commissioning has begun21 May 2009
After a perfect injection by the Ariane 5 launcher on 14 May, the critical Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) for Herschel and Planck has started to wind down, while commissioning of the scientific instruments and subsystems on both spacecraft has be...

Herschel and Planck: Near-perfect injection by Ariane15 May 2009
The initial orbit provided at separation on 14 May by the Ariane 5 has given near-perfect initial trajectories for both Herschel and Planck, now travelling on separate but similar paths toward their final orbits around L2, according to the mission con...

ESA en route to the origins of the Universe14 May 2009
ESA PR 10-2009 Two of the most ambitious missions ever attempted to unveil the secrets of the darkest, coldest and oldest parts of the Universe got off to a successful start this afternoon with the dual launch of ESA’s far infrared space telescope Her...